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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — shares
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — army training
  17. cue — a signal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — a publisher
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com